Trepidation

There are some words that I really don't care for and other words that I just really like the sound of. I don't like the word anxiety. It sounds like a disease. Wait, it actually is a disease. At least they have pills to treat it so that seems to indicate that it's a disease. I also don't care for the word worry. I am very familiar with this word because I do it way more than I should. I am a chronic worrier, even though I really try not to be. Fear is another word that isn't one of my favorites. Fear frightens me. However, I really think that the word trepidation is a great word. First of all, it's fun to say. It is similar to anxious, or worried, or fearful but to me it is a little bit different. In my mind it is a little more positive . When I feel anxious or worried or fearful I tend to draw into myself, hunker down and refuse to budge but when I hear the word trepidation I think more of proceeding with caution than coming to a sudden halt. Be prepared for what might possibly happen, but keep going. I can work through trepidation easier than the others.

Now, with that said, I will actually begin this post by saying that with some trepidation I shipped my youngest son off to Washington DC this morning to perform in a band festival and also to attend the Inauguration of President Barack Obama. When this band tour was first announced, back in September, I was more concerned about the amount of money it was going to cost and where it was going to come from than with the safety of my son. However, as events have transpired and things have fallen into place it has crossed my mind once or twice that perhaps the nation's capitol on January 20, 2009 might not be the safest place in the world to be. It wasn't until a couple of weeks ago though, when I attended the mandatory parent meeting, received the trip schedule, heard about the plans for Inauguration Day and was given the option to have my son remain at the hotel and watch the proceedings on TV rather than in person that I actually started really thinking about the whole safety issue. Was I being an irresponsible parent and putting my son in danger by allowing him to attend this historic event? The hubby and I discussed the possibilities. The boy and I discussed the possibilities. The hubby, the boy and I discussed the possibilities. We all know that unfortunately there are crazy people in the world who have their own ideas and agendas who might feel like this is a perfect opportunity to make a forceful statement about how they believe. There is the possibility that something dangerous might happen, but should that cause us to hide? After our discussions and some prayer concerning the matter we all signed the permission slip that said he would attend the Inauguration. My trepidation did cause me to give my son a little more advice on safe and cautious behavior in large groups than I'm sure he wanted to hear, but it didn't stop me from allowing him to have this experience. The new president will be happy to know that I will be offering my most heartfelt prayers for his safety (and my son's) on Tuesday morning, but I hope he will forgive me if I choose to attend the temple during his swearing in rather than watch the proceedings. One never knows when trepidation might actually turn into one of those less positive words and I'm not taking any chances.

Today I am thankful for

a husband who played taxi driver for the 4:45 AM trip to the airport and the later trip to another airport to pick up the daughter and son-in-law.
a son-in-law who's smart enough not to fly a plane that is having issues.
a more upbeat report from my mom about how she feels.